Electric baseboard hot water heating system



C. L- RlLL ETAL ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM Oct. 4, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTORS AQW AW CLARENCE L. RILL NOAH 0. HILL BY wad W ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1966 RILL ETAL ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTORS CLARENCE L. R/LL NOAH 0. HILL BY Ma my? $210 ATTORNEY United States Patent O (ilar'ence L.

invention relates to electric heating systems, and more particularly it pertains to a hot water baseboard radiator system.

It is an object of this invention to provide a heating system of radiators which is more easily installed and yet as effective as conventional hot water heat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a maintenance free heating system for structures not able to justify a central heating boiler.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide an individual heat control in each room for a hot water baseboard radiator system.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a system of electric heating without the dehydration usually associated therewith.

To provide a water-jacketed electric-type base radiator, is still another object of the present invention.

' And still another object of this invention is to provide an electrically heated hot water radiator of the tube-core type.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and. understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a baseboard heater system incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a dwelling illustrating the installation of a heating system using the improved heater system of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of a baseboard heater system taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of a floor or hung radiator.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, reference numeral 24 indicates generally a novel baseboard, hot water type electric heater. This heater 24, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, consists of an elongated backplate 26 of generally channel shape. A narrow front cover 38 extends the length of the backplate 26, and it is supported and spaced therefrom on pairs of bracket-like radiator and damper saddles 28 and 32, respectively, so as to provide upper and lower longitudinal openings.

A shallow cover plate 40 fits over one end of this assembly of back plate 26 and cover 38, and a deeper cover or housing 42 similarly is fitted :over the other end. This latter housing 42 has a door 43 on the front to provide access to the interior.

Inside the heater 24 on the lower pair of saddles 28, a radiator 30 is supported. The upper pair of saddles 32 frictionally support an elongated curved damper 34 which can be moved to change its angle with respect to the upper opening previously mentioned.

A junction box 60 is provided which has a cover 80 mounted in the housing 42. Over a side aperture in the junction box 60, screws 62 secure the threaded male portion 56 of a pipe union.

The radiator 30 comprises a tube 48 which is flanged at one end and this end carries the female portion or nut 54 of the pipe union. With the union components 54 and 56 coupled together, the radiator 30 is thus secured to the junction box 60.

A small diameter electric heater element 58 of the metal jacketed type is soldered at one end inside the union member 56 so as to be supported coaxial-1y spaced Patented Oct. 4, 1966 within the radiator tube 48 and also to extend its electrical leads 72 and 76 within the junction box 60. At the same time, the union member 56 so prepared, hermetically seals this end of the tube 48.

A reducing pipe elbow 46 is secured to the other end :of the radiator tube 48 and it mounts -a quarter inch 4") pipe or conduit 22 having a cut-off valve 44.

A plurality of radiation fins 50 are secured to the radiator tube 48 intermediate the ends. The sensing tube 66 of a temperature control unit 64 inside the junction box 60 extends therefrom and is secured in good thermal contact along the tops :of these fins 50.

A gutter 36 is provided for running an electric power line 70 along the backplate 26 to the junction box 60. One lead of this power line 70 connects to the lead 72 of the heater element 58. The other lead 76 is connected to one of the terminals 68 of the temperature control 64. The remaining lead 74 of the power line 70 is routed through a hole 82 in the backplate 26 to extend toa room thermostat 84 by one of the leads 78. The other thermostat lead 78 connect-s to the remaining terminal 68 of the temperature control unit 64 inside the junction box 60.

To make up a heating system 10 for a dwelling D as shown in FIG. 2, each room R is provided with a heater 24 suitably wired to the common electric power supply line and individually wired as related to its own room thermostat 84. The quarter inch conduits 22 from each heater 24 extend to join a common main line 20 which can be of one-half /2) inch size.

This main line 20 leads to the basement B where it connects first to a pop valve 18 then to an expansion tank 16 and next to a directional and controlled rate flow valve 14. A main cut-off valve 13 then joins the flow valve 14 to the water supply line 12 for the dwelling.

The radiators 30 of each heater 24 are purged of air by opening a bleeder 52 as :shown best in FIG. 3. After the air is released, water jackets the heater element whereby it is heated. The high specific heat of the water uniformly and gradually imparts its heat to the fins 50. The heated air rises by convection and is deflected by the damper 34 into the room R. When the room R becomes warmed to a predetermined temperature as dictated by the thermostat 84, power is shut off to the heater element 58. The water, however, continues to give off heat for a considerable time thereafter.

For use in larger rooms, shops, etc., the radiator as shown in FIG. 5 is used. This radiator 100 is well adapted to heat large spaces by providing a fan, not shown, to force and circulate air therethrough.

The radiator 100 comprises a rectangular housing 102 which is suitable for floor or hung mounting. A pair of inner side walls 106 support between them a water heating chamber 104 having a heating element 108 extending therein. This chamber 104 also contains the sensing tube 110 of the water temperature control. Both this control and the leads of the heater element are brought into the junction box 112 and interconnected to the thermostat leads I30 and power lines 128 as in the previous example.

The sidewalls 106 mount at their upper ends a water chamber 120. A plurality of tubes communicate vertically between the upper chamber and the lower chamber 104 and radiation fins 118 are disposed thereon at spaced intervals so as to extend across the open front and rear faces of the housing 102.

The upper chamber mounts a pop valve 122 and bleeder valve 124 whereby to purge the air from the chambers and the tubes 104, 118, 120 and allow them to fill with water from the line 22. Access doors 114 and 126 are provided for this operation.

Should there be a leak in the conduits 20 or 22 or anywhere in the system and the radiators 24 or 100 run dry, the control 64 or 110 respectively will cut off the electricity before any damage can occur. Normally the controls 64 or 110 supplement the working of room thermostat 84 by holding the Water temperature below a maximum level in the radiator 30 or chamber 104.

The permanent connection of all heaters 24 to the water supply line 12 assures that no maintenance is necessary since water is automatically replenished to supplement that lost through the pop off valves.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallydescribed.

What is claimed is: a

1. A heating system comprising, at least one baseboard radiator means including an elongated tube structure filled with water and having spaced fins secured therealong, an elongated electrical heating element of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of said tube structure and having one end thereof extending longitudinally within said tube structure so as to define an annular Water-filled space therebetween, with said heating element heating said water contained in said tube structure, a control junction box, an elongated housing supporting said tube structure and junction box and having air inlet and outlet means for circulation of air over said tube structure and said fins, pipe union means, said control junction box being coupled to one end of said tube structure by said pipe union means, said pipe union means consisting of a first portion carried by said tube structure and a second portion coupled to a wall of said control junction box, the opposite end of said heating element extending through said pipe union means into the interior of said control junction box, said heating element being hermetically sealed in said second portion of said pipe union means so as to prevent leakage of water into said junction box, a temperature control unit in said control junction box, said temperature control unit including an electrical switch 4 and further including anelongated temperature sensing tube extending from said control junction box and in direct thermal contact with a plurality of spaced fins of said tube structure and arranged to operate said electrical switch, thermostat means responsive to the temperature of an enclosed area being heated for controlling the operation of said heating element, and an electric circuit electrically connecting said heating element, temperature control unit, and said thermostat means in series to a source of electrical energy, whereby when the water in said tube structure is heated, heat is radiated by said tube structure and fins.

2. The heating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature sensing tube is coextensive in length with said tube structure and wherein several rooms are present and separate baseboard radiator means and thermostat means are provided for each said room.

3. The heating system as recited in claim '1, wherein the tube structure of each of said separate baseboard radiator means is connected to a common water supply which is provided with pressure safety means, whereby said several rooms can be heated without a central heat ing plant.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ANTHONY BARTIS, Acting Primary Examiner.

RICHARD M. WOOD, Examiner. 

1. A HEATING SYSTEM COMPRISING, AT LEAST ONE BASE BOARD RADIATOR MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED TUBE STRUCTURE FILLED WITH WATER AND HAVING SPACED FINS SECURED THEREALONG, AN ELONGATED ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID TUBE STRUCTURE AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID TUBE STRUCTURE SO AS TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR WATER-FILLED SPACE THEREBETWEEN, WITH SAID HEATING ELEMENT HEATING SAID WATER CONTAINED IN SAID TUBE STRUCTURE, A CONTROL JUNCTION BOX, AN ELONGATED HOUSING SUPPORTING SAID TUBE STRUCTURE AND JUNCTION BOX AND HAVING AIR INLET AND OUTLET NMEANS FOR CIRCULATION OF AIR OVER SAID TUBE STRUCTURE AND SAID FINS, PIPE UNION MEANS, SAID CONTROL JUNCTION BOX BEING COUPLED TO ONE END OF SAID TUBE STRUCTURE BY SAID PIPE UNION MEANS, SAID PIPE UNION MEANS CONSISTING OF A FIRST PORTION CARRIED BY SAID TUBE STRUCTURE AND A SECOND PORTION COUPLED TO A WALL OF SAID CONTROL JUNCTION BOX, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PIPE UNION MEANS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTROL JUNCTION BOX, SAID HEATING ELEMENT BEING HERMETICALLY SEALED IN SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID PIPE UNION MEANS SO AS TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OF WATER INTO SAID JUNCTION BOX, A TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNIT IN SAID CONTROL JUNCTION BOX, SAID TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNIT INCLUDING AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH, AND FURTHER INCLUDING AN ELONGATED TEMPERATURE SENSING TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID CONTROL JUNCTION BOX AND IN DIRECT THERMAL CONTACT WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED FINS OF SAID TUBE STRUCTURE AND ARRANGED TO OPERATE SAID ELECTRICAL SWITCH, THERMOSTAT MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF AN ENCLOSED AREA BEING HEATED FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT, AND AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID HEATING ELEMENT, TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNIT, AND SAID THERMOSTAT MEANS IN SERIES TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, WHEREBY WHEN THE WATER IN SAID TUBE STRUCTURE IS HEATED, HEAT IS RADIATED BY SAID TUBE STRUCTURE AND FINS. 